Christmas Bird Count 2018 and Tally Potluck Chili Feed

Anchorage Audubon Society sponsors the National Audubon Christmas Bird Count each year in December. Anchorage is divided into 5 Areas and those areas are further divided into teams, each led by an experienced birder. Most participants prefer to do the count in the area of their home which is familiar, but some have chosen other areas.

If you are interested in joining the count this year on Saturday, December 15th, and have not participated in the past or want to change your area, please look at the attached map to determine the area of your choice. Then email that area leader (see below) no later than 1 week before the 15th to sign up with your contact information, so s/he can get the necessary count day meeting information to you and help you choose a team. This year you do not need to contact National Audubon ahead of time. I will be adding you as a participant on their site after the count. Please give your area leader as much contact information as possible (or comfortable). It will make my job easier in case we need to contact you for details on a bird sighting.

If you have participated in the past and want to remain in the same area, let your leader know. Unless otherwise notified, you can follow the same meeting procedure, etc. from past years.

The count usually starts at 10:00 AM and ends around 3:30 PM or whenever the first team member has to be taken to the ER for treatment of hypothermia. There is a possibility of joining a nighttime owling party. If interested ask your leader.

A fabulous Chili Feed accompanies the Tally Party, brought to you by the Anchorage Audubon Board that provides the chili and cornbread. Participants are invited to bring salads or desserts. Again this event will be in the bottom level of First Congregational Christian Church at 2610 E. Northern Lights Blvd. just east of Lake Otis. Entry is from the back (lower) parking lot. We are fortunate to enjoy the generosity of this community in letting us rent their facility at a minimal cost.

If you wish to know more about the history and purpose of the National Audubon Christmas Bird Count check their website. If you have problems or questions about participating in the count, contact Louann Feldmann, Compiler and Coordinator for the Anchorage CBC at louannf@alaska.net.

And here’s the cool part. Anchorage is always at the TOP of the list of national participants in the CBC. This is not based on per capita–we have one of the highest absolute numbers of counters. Last year, Anchorage logged the EIGHTH HIGHEST number of participants in the entire United States. WE beat out New York, LA, Chicago, San Diego, and oodles more. We totally rocked the Christmas Bird Count. We hope you’ll join us so we can do it again.

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is an organized continent-wide survey that documents every bird seen on a given day from sunrise to sunset. Since the turn of the 20th century, the Christmas Bird Count has contributed to the knowledge base of wintering birds in North America. This information is also important to allow scientists to detect fluctuations and trends of birds over a period of years. The count is an all-day event open to anyone wishing to participate. This is an excellent opportunity for novice bird watchers to join with seasoned veterans and learn more about identifying and finding the local birds. Home feeder-watchers are also needed. I would like to particularly encourage anyone with feeders in the Anchorage area who can spare at least one hour to watch their feeders to participate. The Christmas Bird Count is online with data from 1900 to the present at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/index.html.

Historical Anchorage CBC Maps

Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly), AAS has found itself with a plethora (if two (2) can be called that) of Anchorage CBC Maps. For historical reasons, for interests of nostalgia, and because they are so darn cool, we’ve decided to keep these maps for everyone to enjoy.

Please enjoy! (and I’ll try to fill in details as I learn them):

The first map seems to be courtesy of Margaret Heller. Evidently an Anchorage CBC observer for 31 years…that is awesome! I especially like the birds of prey as keystones of the map in the upper left and right. 31 years…for real? Margaret gets five (5) gold stars for “stick-with-it-ness”! Margaret Heller – Anchorage CBC Map

This next map was titled “cbcmap_delapp” when I inherited it, so I can only assume it was created by the great Anchorage birder Dave Delapp. Dave Delapp is ranked #3 in the all time Anchorage birding annals with 233 species. I met him once at the Audubon Bench chasing Anchorage’s 2015 Terek Sandpiper….truly a gentleman! Incidentally, this was the map used to create the current Anchorage CBC Google Map. Enjoy! Dave Delapp – Anchorage CBC Map

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Link to the Anchorage Audubon Archives

Anchorage Audubon Society

The Anchorage Audubon Society is an all volunteer, legal, and official non-profit organization dedicated to birding and conservation in South central Alaska. We welcome all levels of birder at our monthly Program Meeting and Field Trips.

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Anchorage Rarities

In the past years, a large number of birds that are very unusual in the Anchorage area have been reported and documented.

The appearance of each of these rarities is, of course, entirely due to efforts of The Anchorage Audubon Society!

Currently there is one (1) extremely rare bird to be seen in Anchorage. That bird is:

Additional Anchorage rarities that have occurred in the recent past and other more "historical" Anchorage rarities can be found under the "Anchorage Rarities" section of the "Birding Anchorage" section of the menus.